The present invention relates to a sun-roof apparatus for a vehicle that is arranged at an opening in the roof of the vehicle. A link mechanism connects the sun-roof to the roof and a drainage channel and/or drainage gutter is arranged at least partly around the opening in the roof.
When an opening for a sun-roof is made in a vehicle roof, the region around the opening has to be reinforced in order for the vehicle roof to be capable of absorbing forces from the sun-roof. The reinforcement around the opening also contributes to making the vehicle roof torsionally rigid. The sun-roof is also provided with a seal that extends around the periphery of the sun-roof and prevents water from entering the vehicle. The seal around the sun-roof is not always watertight and for this reason is supplemented by a drainage arrangement which receives and carries away water that passes the seal.
Most sun-roof apparatuses in use today have a sun-roof which, in the open position, is pushed in between the roof and the ceiling of the vehicle. There are also sun-roof apparatuses in which the sun-roof moves on top of the roof. In order to make such opening of the sun-roof possible, a guide in the form of an aluminum profile is arranged on both sides of the sun-roof which guide the sun-roof runs on opening and closing of the sun-roof. A separate drainage trough is arranged so as to receive and carry away water to drainage connection pieces which are connected to the drainage trough. The drainage connection pieces are arranged in each corner of the drainage trough and are in turn connected to drainage tubes which conduct the water down through the A and C pillars of the vehicle.
The known types of sun-roof apparatus described above comprise a number of components. One object of the present invention is to produce a sun-roof apparatus which comprises fewer components than known sun-roof apparatuses and which thus results in lower cost and weight. Another object of the present invention is to produce a sun-roof apparatus which effectively prevents water penetrating into the vehicle.
This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the sun-roof apparatus, in relation to a front and rear portion of the vehicle, has a front element, a rear element and two side elements. The drainage channel and/or drainage gutter is arranged in these elements. The portion of the drainage channel and/or drainage gutter that is arranged in the side elements is inclined in relation to a horizontal plane so that the depth of the drainage channel and/or drainage gutter in a first end region of the side element is greater than the depth of the drainage channel and/or drainage gutter in a second end region of the side element.
Such a sun-roof apparatus comprises fewer components than known sun-roof apparatuses which results in low material and tool costs.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drainage channel is positioned in a reinforcing frame arranged around the opening of the roof, and the drainage gutter is arranged at least partly around the opening of the roof; the drainage gutter constituting a part which is integral with the roof.
With this drainage gutter in combination with a sealing system between the glass roof and the roof, effective sealing is achieved between the sun-roof and the roof. Any water which may nevertheless pass through the system runs down into the drainage channel in the reinforcing frame.
The drainage channel, which is integrated in the reinforcing frame, contributes to carrying water away and down to drainage connection pieces, the water then being conducted onward to a suitable outlet. By virtue of the fact that the drainage duct is inclined in the longitudinal direction in either direction in relation to mechanism guides for the sun-roof, the number of drainage connection pieces can be reduced to only being located at the front on the sun-roof apparatus or, alternatively, only at the rear on the sun-roof apparatus.